2006 KIA Sorento Owner's Manual

Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 750
kg (1,650 pounds) loaded, then it
needs its own brakes – and they must
be adequate. Be sure to read and fol-
low the instructions for the trailer
brakes so you’ll be able to install,
adjust and maintain them properly.
 Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake
system.
 Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This is not a
task for amateurs. Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get to
know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so respon-
sive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.DRIVING TIPS5-38
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 38

Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move your hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and, if possi-
ble, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sud-
den maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring.
The green arrows on your instrument
panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly con-
nected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers that you’re about
to turn, change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on the
trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers behind you are seeing
your signals when, in fact, they are
not. It’s important to check occasion-
ally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working. You must also check the
lights every time you disconnect and
then reconnect the wires.Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring
harness. Your authorized Kia dealer
can assist you in installing the wiring
harness.
DRIVING TIPS
5-39
WARNING
Using an improper trailer wiring
harness could lead to malfunc-
tioning of your vehicles electri-
cal system and a possible acci-
dent.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 39

You must check the capacity of the
lighting system and electrical equip-
ment for a trailer before connecting
the wires.
 Trailer accessory : 120W and below
 Turn signal lamp : 27W × 2EA and
below (Total : 4.2 A and below)
 Stop lamp : 27W × 2EA and below
(Total : 4.2 A and below)
 Position lamp : 5W × 8EA and
below (Total : 3.65 A and below)Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transmission over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1650
lbs (750 kg) and you have an auto-
matic transmission, you should drive
in D (Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat buildup and extend the life of
your transmission. If you have a man-
ual transmission, drive in fourth gear
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
DRIVING TIPS5-40
4
3
2
1
7
6
5
Trailer Connector Back up lamp
 Position lamp
 Trailer accessory
 Turn signal lamp (LH)
 Turn siganl lamp (RH)
 Stop lamp
EarthTrailer Connector
S2BLA550
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 40

Parking on hills
Generally, you should not park your
vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a
hill. People can be seriously or fatally
injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged if they begin a
downhill trajectory.However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here’s how to do
it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift
into gear.
2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your
parking brake, and then shift to R
(Reverse) for a manual transmis-
sion or P (Park) for an automatic
transmission.
5. Be sure the transfer case (if
equipped) is fully engaged in a
drive gear – not in N (Neutral).
6. Release the brakes.
DRIVING TIPS
5-41
WARNING- Parking on a Hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with an attached trailer could
cause serious injury or fatal
injury. If the brakes fail, the
vehicle and trailer could roll
down hill and strike people or
property.
WARNING- Parking Brake
Not setting the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle could
lead to a serious accident.
If you have left the engine run-
ning, the vehicle can move sud-
denly. Always set the parking
brake and take the key with you
to be sure your vehicle is
securely parked.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 41

When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on a Hill
1. With the manual transmission in
Neutral or automatic transmission
in P (Park), apply your brakes and
hold the brake pedal down while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up
and store the chocks.Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index will
help you find them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your
trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte-
nance schedule that accompanied
your trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the
start of each day’s driving. Most
importantly, all hitch nuts and bolts
should be tight.DRIVING TIPS5-42
✽ ✽
NOTICEDue to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur in
hot days or during uphill driving. If
the coolant gauge indicates over-
heating, switch off the A/C and stop
the vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 42

OVERLOADING LABEL INFORMATION
There are several important labels
and identification numbers located on
your vehicle. The label locations are
identified in the illustrations on the fol-
lowing three pages.
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
This is the legal identifier for your
vehicle. It appears on a plate
attached to the left side of the forward
portion of the dashboard. The VIN
plate can be easily seen from the out-
side of the vehicle through the wind-
shield on the driver’s side.
DRIVING TIPS
5-43
S2BLD304
WARNING- Weight Rating
The gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) and the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) for your
vehicle are on the manufactur-
er’s label attached to the dri-
ver’s door. Exceeding these rat-
ings can cause an accident or
vehicle damage. You can calcu-
late the weight of your load by
weighing the items (or people)
before putting them in the vehi-
cle. Be careful not to overload
your vehicle.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 43

Vehicle Certification label
(CMVSS label)
The VIN also appears on the vehi-
cle’s certification label and VIN label
on the pillar.Frame Vehicle Identification
Number Vehicle Emission Control
Information/Vacuum Hose Routing
DiagramDRIVING TIPS5-44
xxxx
xxxx xxxx
xxxx xxxx
xxxx
S2BLA317Z
SRT-VIN
S2BLC502
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 44

Tire Information LabelEngine Number
DRIVING TIPS
5-45
S2BLD502A
1GHA611
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 45